OUT AFRICA MAGAZINE ISSUE 44

Issue 44, SPRING 2020

AFRICA

MAGAZ I N E

THE UNITED PRIDES OF AFRICA

ICONIC PHOTOGRAPHIC ARTIST

ZANELE MUHOLI FREE

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE FEATURES

2 Editor’s Comment 3 United Prides of Africa - Save the Date ...26 September 2020 4 The State of LGBTI+ Rights in Africa 6 Who Will be the Top LGBTI+ Performer?

8 FEATURE: Miloh Ramai - Born to Perform!

11 The Fashion of Sagging 12 Challenges Faced by LGBTI+ Africans under Lockdown 22 Emancipation NOT Equality 24 FEATURE: Zanele Muholi - Artist & Activist 27 WORDPERFECT: A Dutiful Boy 28 Does Str8 Acting Rock Your Boat?

30 Being Sexy & Covid Safe 32 OUTREACH AFRICA - Pride Food Drive 34 THE BUZZ: Trump: Most Pro LGBTI President

Kim’s Story: Growing up gay in SA 35 Tribute to Kirvan Fortuin 36 My Partner is Gay - Straight perspective 37 Important Numbers 38 FITNESS: Get in Shape Under Lockdown 40 HEALTH: Drink the Rainbow to a Healthy Lifestyle 52 OUT Takes

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FASHION 12 - 15 Street Wear

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SCENE OUT

17 - 19 Woof - Men at Work

REVIEWS

44 OUT ON FILM: Check Out some the Best LGBTI+ Movies

“Everybody’s journey is individual. If you fall in love with a boy, you fall in love with a boy. The fact that many people consider it a disease says more about them than it does about homosexuality”

44 Mag 1

FROM THE EDITOR Welcome all With the World in the grip of the pandemic, it is good news for many of us that the country has moved to Level 2, enabling restaurants, bars and that gay-man’s temple, gyms to open, albeit with limited numbers, social distancing, masking-up and disinfecting. But there is light at the end of the tunnel it seems.

The online Global Pride event took place on the 27th June and was a huge success with tens of millions of people around the world tuning in and live streaming Prides from around the globe. The African continent is holding their own Uniting Prides of Africa on the 26th September and will feature live performances, shout-outs and stories from a number of countries, but importantly from many places where LGBTQI+ rights are nonexistent and where gay people are subjected to harsh penalties and even death in some countries. So save the date - 26 September - get together with a few friends and livestream this historic African Pride day.

Our cover and main feature in this issue is the artist and activist Zanele Muholi who has made a name for herself both locally and internationally with her iconic photography that inspires debate and highlights the struggle that black lesbians and transgender people especially suffer in this country where LGBTQI+ rights are protected under the constitution.

We also feature Miloh Ramai, a local performing artist who is making a name for himself on the South African music scene.

We have a number of articles which will be of interest to readers, including a look at the experiences of straight people who discover their husband or wife is gay and how they have had to deal with the breakdown of their marriage. There’s a study by Human Rights Watch of how AfroQueer people are dealing with the pandemic. Well-known activist, Peter Tatchell looks at the view point of some that equal rights to the cis community is not far enough.

With most theatres and cinemas being closed and few new releases coming on the market, we take a look at some of the best LGBTI+ movies over the past 90 or so years. Most can be streamed or downloaded. Some will be familiar to many readers but there are a whole lot that you possibly have never heard of, so on these quiet, stay-at-home nights why not have a friend over, and enjoy a movie-night with a “gay” classic. stay safe, mask up, don’t touch anyone up... now that we are in Lockdown 2 there is hope that we will come out of the pandemic in the not too distant future - till better days ...

Cover Photo: © Zanele Muholi. Courtesy of Stevenson, Cape Town/Johannesburg and Yancey Richardson, New York Mag 2

MANAGING EDITOR: Tommy Patterson 082 562 3358 ISSN 2304-859X Published by: PATTERSON PUBLICATIONS P.O. Box 397, Sea Point 8060 Cell: 082 562 3358 E-mail: outmagafrica@telkomsa.net outmagazine@mweb.co.za outlet@telkomsa.net

CONTRIBUTORS: Daniel Dercksen, Mark S. King PHOTOGRAPHY: Henning Marko Swanepoel

ADVERTISING SALES: Tommy Patterson 082 562 3358 Copyright: All articles, stories, interviews and other materials in OUT Africa Magazine are the copyright of the publication or are reproduced with permission from other copyright owners. All rights are reserved. No materials may be copied, modified, published or otherwise distributed without the prior written permission of OUT Africa Magazine.

The views, opinions, positions or strategies expressed by those providing comments in this publication are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of OUT Africa Magazine or any employee thereof. OUT Africa Magazine and Patterson Publications cc., will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in any information contained in the publication.

Saturday, 26 September 2020 THE UNITED PRIDES OF AFRICA Pride Organisation across the African continent come together in unity and strength

P

ride organisations around Africa have come together to organise a Uniting Prides in Africa event on Saturday, 26 September 2020, in response to the multitude of Pride celebrations that have been cancelled or postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic and because of the LGBTI+ rights that are being abused or denied throughout the African Continent.

tion coordinator of Uniting Prides of Africa. “This will be a time to remember, reflect and foster personal Pride across the African continent but also celebrate the steps that we have taken as a community. In many countries in Africa people can not celebrate Pride or even mention being part of the LGBTIQA+ community. This platform will give those people a space to let their voices be heard.”

Uniting Prides in Africa will use online platforms to deliver a Pride in which everyone can participate, wherever they are in Africa and the World. It will include musical performances, speeches, shout-outs from allies and key messages from human rights activists. The event will be live-streamed, and people will be invited to join in the event from their home.

“A project that I have always wanted to do is African LGBTIQA+ History. A story from the people to the people” said Thomas Patterson , Director of United Prides of Africa. “We need to enshrine our history. As the years go bye many of our leaders pass away without their story being heard. We feel that this is the time to start this project and start building our history.”

United Prides in Africa in conjunction with Prides and Pride Organisations from: South Africa, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Tunisia and Eswatini - to name a few - with more organisations joining, to come together, united and representing LGBTI+ people across the African continent. In conjunction with all of the mentioned organisations there will be a bevy of top artists, performers and speakers to lend their voice to unsung voices across the African continent.

There is an open call for submissions of footage from the community and United Prides of Africa requests all readers to log on to their Facebook page (United Prides of Africa), and be a part of this historic event.

“This event will give people from across the continent the opportunity to view, as well as participate in a unique Pride event of huge magnitude and nature” said Matthew Van As - Produc-

So get a party together, put of your favourite Pride outfit, switch on your TV and tune in to your favourite YouTube live stream of Uniting Prides of Africa, crack open your tipple of choice and join in the biggest online Pride event on the African Continent!

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THE UNITED PRID

THE STATE OF LGBT In Algeria same sex activity is illegal with up to 3 years imprisonment with fines up to 10,000 dinars, torture, beatings, or vigilante executions

Libya: illegal: Islamic Sharia Law is applied.

Penalty: Up to 4 years in jail or death

Morrocco - Illegal Penalty: Up to 3 years imprisonment and fines.

Benin, Birkino Faso, Ivory Coast, Niger, Mali & Central African Republic, Djibouti, DRC, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Rwanda, Madagasgar, Mayotte - Legal (No laws against same-sex sexual activity)

Senegal, Togo , Cameroon & Chad - Illegal -Penalty: 1 to 5 years prison The Gambia Illegal - Penalty: Up to Iife imprisonment.

In Uganda, Tanzania, and Sierra Leone, offenders can receive life imprisonment for homosexual acts

Liberia -Illegal. Penalty: 1 year imprisonment

Guinea - Illegal.

Penalty: 10 years imprisonment or more.

In addition to criminalising homosexuality, Nigeria has enacted legislation that would make it illegal for heterosexual family members, allies and friends of LGBT people to be supportive. According to Nigerian law, a heterosexual ally “who administers, witnesses, abets or aids” any form of gender non-conforming and homosexual activity could receive a 10-year jail sentence

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Ghana - For males, illegal. Penalty: 10 years imprisonment or more.

Guinea Bissau , Gabon, São Tomé and Príncipe, Réunion, Seychelles, Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique & South Africa- Legal.

Nambia, & Zimbabwe - Male illegal. Female always legal

South Africa has the most liberal at tudes toward gays and lesbians, the try legalised same-sex marriage an Constitution is one of the few in the that explicitly prohibits discrimina the grounds of sexual orientation.

DES OF AFRICA

TI RIGHTS IN AFRICA Tunisia - Illegal since 1913. Penalty: 3 years imprisonment

In Egypt the penalty is up to 17 years imprisonment with or without hard labour and with or without fines under broadly-written morality laws

Ethiopia Illegal since 2009 Penalty: fine, and 3 months to 2 years prison

Eritrea - Illegal Penalty: Up to 15 years.

In Somalia, Somaliland, Mauritania and northern Nigeria, homosexuality is punishable by death

Comores- Illegal Penalty: 5 years prison

Burundi Illegal since 2009 Penalty: fine, and 3 months to 2 years prison

Tanzania - Illegal Penalty: Up to life imprisonment. Violence tolerated

Uganda - Illegal - Penalty: Life imprisonment. Violence & executions are also common.

Mauritius - Male illegal Penalty: Up to 5 years imprisonment -

ttie counnd its e world ation on

Eswatini (Swaziland) - Male illegal Female always legal

Malawi - Illegal Penalty: Up to 14 years imprisonment, with or without corporal punishment for men. Up to 5 years imprisonment for women.

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WHO WILL ON T

OUT AFRICA MAGAZ PRIDES OF AFRIC FOR THE TOP 20 LG & ALLIES IN S

WE ARE LOOKING AT PERFORMED ON T OR WHO IS CURRENTLY O OF AFRICA OR WHO HAS SHOWN TH LGBTI+ CO

We have compiled a list of artists and performers, in no most populaer ... go to our Facebook page, or the United P and vote for YOUR favourite LGBTI+ performer ...

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COME OUT TOP?

ZINE & THE UNITED CA ARE LOOKING GBTI+ PERFORMERS SOUTH AFRICA

T ANYONE WHO HAS THE PRIDE STAGE, ON THE UNITED PRIDES A PLAYLIST HEIR SUPPORT FOR THE OMMUNITY

particular order - YOUR votes will determine who is the Prides of Africa website (wwww.unitedpridesofafrica.org) . or nominate who you think should be on the list...

Mag 7

1

Craig Lucas - Openly

gay Cape Town singer/songwriter who has performed at on the Cape Town Pride stage

7

Manila Von Teez -

Well-known to the LGBTI+ community nationwide, Manila made a name for herself on SA’s Got Talent

Latheem Gabriel -

3-D - Well-known to Cape

Gay Cape Town singer/songwriter who has performed at on the Cape Town Pride stage

2 Zoe Zana - Dynamic,

diminutive powerhouse who has performed at Cape Town Pride

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Freshly Ground Having performed for the LGBTI+ comminity this well-known group supports our community

Goldfish - Performing

4 Tons of Fun- these

on United Prides of Africa, this super group supports the LGBTI+ community

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Toya Delazy - Openly

gay and activist for LGBTI+ rights, Toya has performed on the Pride stage in Joburg

Town Pride audiences this dynamic, talented trio have performed at a number of LGBTI+ events and functions

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vibrant party goers have supported and performed at gay venues, Pride events and other LGBTI+ happenings. Huge supporters of our diverse community

Shen FM - a proud sup-

porter of the LGBTI+ community and has performed on a number of occasions on the Cape Town Pride stage

The Kiffness - Seen on

Miloh Ramai has per-

the Pride stage in Cape Town and a numerous other LGBTI+ events, The Kiffness are great allies of our community

formed on Pride stages both in Cape Town and Gauteng.

A rising star who is sure to become a household name

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13

Yahto Kraft- Openly gay

Connell Cruise- Now

Yahto who hails from Pretoria is making waves on the South African music scene

19 PJ Powers - This openly

14 15

- Well-known, having performed on stage and in cabaret venues all over the country, Natalia has always supported the LGBTI+ community

Coda have performed at

Pride and are supportive allies of our community

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Jarrad Ricketts One

of the up and coming South African singers who will go far, Jarrad has performed at Pride to huge acclaim

Push Push - Have performed at Cape Town Pride and openly supports our community

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Lu Chase - Appeared for

gay performer has made a name for herself both locally and internationally and needs no introduction

Natalia Da Rocha

living in the USA, he has performed at Cape Town Pride and is busy establishing his international career

the first time at CApe Town Pride 2020 to rapturous applause

20 21

Jimmy Nevis -

As a supporter of the LGBTI+community, Jimmy is well-known on the South African music scene and has appeared on the Pride stage

Head over to our Facebook page, or the United Prides of Africa website (www.unitedpridesofafrica.org) and vote for YOUR favourite LGBTI+ performer ... or nominate your who you think should be on the list...

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FEATURE

THE TALENTED SINGER/ SONGWRITER

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7 year-old Pretoria born Miloh Ramai was raised in a middle-class home by music loving parents who instilled in him an appreciation of a wide range of genres from a very young age. Whilst growing up he listened to everything from Metallica to Madonna; Pink Floyd to A-Ha; Depeche Mode to Fleetwood Mac; Midnight Oil to Tracy Chapman and even Rihanna.

Miloh had always known that he would be in the entertainment space and initially studied acting at the Jo Chrystal Drama School in 2006. Struggling to fit in with the crowd and being more of an academic child, Miloh went looking for avenues where he could externalise some of the obvious teenage angst that comes from not really “fitting in” at school.

One of his teachers recommended he audition for the school revue and he got an opportunity to perform a solo even though he had never performed in front of anyone before. The resulting experience was fantastic and confirmed his belief that he was born to perform.

Comically, it was not a great performance and even at that young age, he decided not to let it get him down but to get better at it, so Miloh pursued singing lessons at a local vocal coach.

“My voice was always much deeper than all the other boys’ and it didn’t take long before I got irritated trying different songs because I couldn’t reach all the high notes everybody else could but I could reach lower notes flawlessly,” Miloh recalls of those teenage years exploring music in his early days.

Born to perform...

“That’s when my mentor introduced me to Frank Sinatra, Michael Bublé, Tony Bennett and the idea of performing contemporary jazz music.”

He was then trained to perform jazz although he always wanted to sing pop music but once again, he didn’t have the range most male pop singers had and it was difficult for him to find other genres that he was comfortable singing.

“I eventually started to write my own music and I wrote my first song at 15 entitled A Song For You. Miloh was 16 when his father bought him his first guitar but he soon traded his guitar for piano and started taking piano lessons seriously.

In 2010, Miloh met Graeme Watkins in a Sandton restaurant who invited him to their studio to make some music. Graeme and Miloh, along with producer Ryno Zeelie, worked on 3 tracks in that time.

“I bunked school often to go record. I remember getting into a lot of trouble when the vice principal Started phoning me the to tell me to get back to class immediately. It became a regular thing.”

Fast forward to 2017 and Miloh had finished high school with

MILOH RAMAI’S NEW SINGLE TITLE: CRAVE SONG LENGTH: 03:32 GENRE: POP ARTIST: MILOH RAMAI WRITTEN BY: MILOH RAMAI PRODUCED BY: SLOANI ISRC: QZHN72042491 SAMRO WORK no.: W-009019827 EXPLICIT LYRICS: None After distinguishably stepping into the spotlight in 2019 with singles like Run, Sober and Secret, Miloh Ramai now brings us Crave, a 2020 electronic/dance pop track, written and performed by the local singer/songwriter and produced by Joburg-based Sloani.

This is also the fourth official single from Ramai’s upcoming debut album Alpha.

Crave revolves around falling victim to an inevitable betrayal even after seeing multiple warning signs that should have aroused suspicion in one way or another.

This betrayal is compared to a dishonest partner in a relationship who has not been faithful and has abandoned their partner for someone else who promised them more.

“When you landed in his bed, that’s when you lost control.

You said I was your everything but that was long ago…

When you landed in his bed you made YOURSELF the liar And every time I saw the smoke, I knew there was a fire…”

Crave is currently available for pre-save and is available on all digital platforms Watch on Instagram / watch on Facebook Mag 11

3 distinctions, worked on multiple tracks with Graeme and Ryno, worked on multiple singles with Louwrens Bezuidenhout, completed his Diploma in Music Technology at Emendy Multimedia College in Hatfield, Pretoria and also found the time to work for and learn from Dewald Pretorius who was the musical director at LewendeWoord/Living Word Brummeria and his wife singer/songwriter Liezel Marshall.

After meeting producer Sloani, Miloh released his first radio single Run from his debut album titled Alpha in April 2019, accompanied by stunning visuals filmed in the forests surrounding Pretoria East.

The video was filmed, directed and edited by Dewald Pretorius, Liezel Marshall and Dee Gierke who, since Lewende Woord, created their own digital media company called Tazama. Run did exceedingly well and circulated on some of the biggest mainstream radio stations in the country including Groot FM, Hot 91.9FM, Mix FM, Smile FM and Bay FM to name a few.

The 2nd single, Sober, was released in August 2019. Miloh is a story teller and all his songs are written directly from his own personal experiences. About his musical influences he says, “I draw inspiration from the likes of The Weekend, Stevie Nicks, A-Ha, Tove Lo, 80’s synth-pop music as well as relevant contemporary pop music which has allowed me to grow into my current preferred genres being pop, dance, and electronic.”

“Lady Gaga is the artist I probably draw most of my inspiration from. I remember seeing The Born This Way Ball live in 2012 and I knew exactly what I wanted to do with my life. ”Miloh Ramai is also a vocal advocate for LGBTQ+ rights in South Africa and was invited to perform at Cape Town Pride

“...you’ll see me enjoy the fruit of my own ambition...”

2020, Pretoria Pride 2019 and the Opening Ceremony of Pride Of Africa in 2019 alongside Detox (from RuPaul’s Drag Race) and local drag superstar Betty Bangles.

“I’ve always been too passionate, too driven, too outspoken, I’ve always known my power too well ... I am fiercely authentic and determined to succeed and you’ll see me enjoy the fruit of my own ambition...”

Follow Miloh Ramai on: FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/milohramai INSTAGRAM: www.instagram.com/milohramai

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gEye CANDY

Love it or hate it. For some years now, young people especially, have adopted the fashion of sagging ... this is especially prevalent in the skate boarding fraternity ... popularised by teen-idol and bad-lad Justin Bieber, the look can be uber sexy, ultra cool and super hot ... but have you ever considered how the fashion came to be ...

FOR ALL THOSE THAT THINK IT’S NICE TO WALK AROUND WITH YOUR PANTS BELOW YOUR BUTT... READ THE FOLLOWING EXPLANATION: THIS TREND WAS BORN IN THE UNITED STATES’ JAILS, WHERE PRISONERS WHO WERE WILLING TO HAVE SEX WITH OTHER PRISONERS NEEDED TO INVENT A SIGNAL THAT WOULD GO UNNOTICED BY THE GUARDS SO THEY WOULDN’T SUFFER CONSEQUENCES. SO, BY PARTIALLY SHOWING THEIR BUTTS, THEY SHOWED THAT THEY WERE AVAILABLE TO BE PENETRATED BY OTHER INMATES.

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FASHION More than any time in history, street fashion is all about being individualistic. It’s about expressing you own sense of style, allowing us more freedom than at any other time in history to be yourself ... from hoodies and beanies, boots and trainers, light suits matched with T’s or torn jeans with leather jackets. The possibilities are endless to when it comes to dressing articulate what you’re all about!

Super-cool linen suits in muted, pastel shades ... Photo by Anna Shvets from Pexels

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Photo by White Gold Photography from Pexels

CASUAL SPRING STREETWEAR Mag 15

FASHION Bright summer-yellow crew-neck t-shirt with blue denim jeans Photo by Raul Reynoso from Pexels

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Sporting a denimjacket, yellow-capand-sunglasses Photo by Keanen Geego Kilian from Pexels

Bright orange trainers ...

Photo by Hassan Ouajbir from Pexels Mag 16

Wearing torn jeans, trainers and shades ...

Photo by Hamann La from Pexels

Man sporting a black zip-up jacket and black-knit-cap Photo by Prime Cinematics from Pexels

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Photo by Kaysha from Pexels

LGBT AFRICANS SHARE CHALLENGES OF LIFE DURING PANDEMIC

AfroQueer Podcast Explores Varied Experiences of Coping with Covid-19 Neela Ghoshal (Senior Researcher, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Rights Program) © 2014 Human Rights Watch

A

froQueer podcast recently launched a special episode in advance of its upcoming third season. Checking in with queer Africans on how they are faring during the Covid-19 pandemic, the episode was aptly titled “How are you doing?”

The wide-ranging answers surfaced in the podcast reflect the different realities faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people. There is no singular “LGBT experience” of Covid-19. United Nations agencies, activists, and some governments have rightly identified particular vulnerabilities of LGBT people that need to be taken into account in the pandemic response. But levels of vulnerability vary according to factors like economic status, immigration status, and where one calls home.

PRISONERS’ RIGHTS ARE LGBT RIGHTS. If you are LGBT and homeless in Uganda, you could find yourself in prison. AfroQueer interviewed Adrian Jjuuko, lawyer and director of the Human Rights Awareness and Promotion Forum, who tirelessly defended 19 homeless gay, bisexual, and transgender youth whom police detained shortly into Uganda’s Covid-19 lockdown on charges of “negligent act likely to spread infection of disease.” Their crime? Living in a shelter. For 50 days they languished in jail, where prison officials refused to allow lawyers to visit them on Covid-19 pretexts. The director of public prosecutions finally withdrew the charges on May 18.

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ECONOMIC RIGHTS ARE LGBT RIGHTS. In Burkina Faso, Emma, a trans activist, told AfroQueer the hardest thing for many LGBT people who have lost jobs, largely in the informal sector, is having to move in with family members to stave off hunger – “a terrible choice, as many of them have homophobic parents.” At least, Emma says, the government is providing free water to those who need it.

REFUGEE RIGHTS ARE LGBT RIGHTS. David, a gay refugee from Nigeria, lives in Boston with his American husband. As a Lyft driver, he transports essential workers, sanitizing his car after each drop-off. The gig economy is hard, he says, but “I’m doing my best to keep the economy running, which I’m very proud of as an immigrant.”

Juliet, a refugee in Sweden, may be safer from homophobia than in her home country of Zambia, but finds that far-right groups scapegoat immigrants and refugees as vectors of disease.

Protecting LGBT people’s rights during the pandemic will depend on addressing a range of rights issues. A more just world, on all levels, will keep LGBT people safer in future global crises.

This dispatch is the first of a six-part collaboration between Human Rights Watch and AfroQueer podcast, seeking to amplify the voices of LGBT Africa

SCENE OUT

WHAT IS SEXIER THAN A HOT BLOKE JUST DOING HIS JOB

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GUY CANDY

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LGBT+ ACTIVISTS SHOULD FIGHT FOR EMANCIPATION According to Peter Tatchell says LGBT+ equality isn’t enough. We need to reshape society. Equal rights within an unjust society is not liberation Peter Tatchell has been campaigning for LGBT+ rights for more than 50 years and is director of the Peter Tatchell Foundation

NOT EQUALITY & ASSIMILATION Mag 22

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t is now 30 years since the formation of the trailblazing, feisty British queer rights direct action group OutRage!

Founded in London in 1990, it helped change attitudes, laws and institutions. It also posed a radical critique of existing society. Campaigning for more than mere equal rights, it wanted to transform society.

Equality is now the mantra of the global LGBTQI+ movement, so the idea that equal rights are not enough is challenging and controversial.

Perhaps I am being pushy and uppity, but I don’t feel comfortable with the way most of the LGBTQI+ community has lowered its aspirations to the limited goal of equal rights. Whatever happened to the lofty ideals of queer liberation and sexual freedom?

We have, too often, moved away from defining our needs on our terms and instead fallen in meekly with the prevailing heterosexual consensus.

The end result? The dominant LGBTQI+ agenda is equal rights and law reform, rather than true emancipation and the transformation of society. This political retreat represents a massive loss of imagination, confidence and vision.

Equality is important but insufficient. It isn’t the panacea that many claim. Equal rights for the LGBTQI+ community inevitably means parity on straight terms, within a pre-existing framework of values, laws and institutions. These have been devised by and for the heterosexual majority – not us.

Equality within their system involves conformity to their rules. This is a formula for submission and incorporation, not emancipation.

Although getting rid of homophobic discrimination is a laudable aim, it doesn’t go far enough. Ending anti-LGBTQI+ bias will not resolve all the problems we face. Some of our difficulties arise not from homophobia, but from the more general sex-negative nature of contemporary culture, which also harms straight and cis-gender people.

The drawbacks associated with seeking mere equality are not, of course, limited to our community. They also apply to women, who are forced to compete on male terms to get ahead in the workplace; and to black people, who tend to only succeed if they adopt a white middle-class lifestyle and assimilate into the dominant European culture.

Peter Tatchell has campaigned for LGBTQI+ rights all over the world, particularly in Africa reform is that we will behave respectably and comply with the heterosexual moral agenda. In return, the “good gays” are rewarded with equal treatment. Meanwhile, all the sex-repressive social structures, laws, institutions and moralities remain intact, and the “bad gays” remain sexual outlaws.

This LGBTQI+ reformism involves the abandonment of any critical perspective on straight culture. In place of a healthy scepticism towards the heterosexual consensus, it substitutes naive acquiescence. Discernment is abandoned in favour of compliance. We trade our souls for the “gift” of equal rights.

The truth is that most advocates of LGBTQI+ equality never question the status quo. They are straight minds trapped in queer bodies. Accepting society as it is, these hetero-homos want nothing more than their cosy place in the straight sun.

Most are all too willing to mimic heterosexual norms. No attempt is made to distinguish between those elements of straight culture that are worthy of LGBTQI+ emulation and those that are not. All that matters is parity.

As OutRage! argued three decades ago, this may be equality, but it is not liberation.

As women and ethnic minorities have discovered to their cost, the equal rights agenda is not about respecting difference, but obliterating it. Where’s the dignity in that? How can we have self-respect if we sacrifice our identity and culture for the sake of parity? It is acceptance, but at a price not worth paying.

Our equality is a political deal that leads to social assimilation.

As a condition of equal treatment, we are expected to conform to the straight system, adopting its norms and aspirations. The end result is LGBTQI+ co-option and assimilation.

We get equality but the price we pay is the surrender of our unique, distinctive identity – the insights and ethics that we have forged in response to exclusion and discrimination by a hostile straight world.

The unwritten social contract at the heart of LGBTQI+ law Mag 23

FEATURE

ZANELE MUHOLI

“As LGBTI we still fighting the same war of the past, where our bodies are violated on a daily basis simply because of gender expression, or simply because of our sexuality...”

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outh African photographer (and self-titled visual activist) Zanele Muholi has gained international recognition for their direct, powerful imagery. In their body of work they direct their camera towards members of the black gay, lesbian and trans community in South Africa making a social, political and positive LGBTQI+ statement to a society which in many cases sees violence against this community as justifiable.

The child of a Zulu mother and a Malawian father, Zanele was born in Umlazi, South Africa, in 1972. Muholi was a baby when their father died, and their mother worked as a maid to provide for the family. After completing an advanced photography course at Market Photo Workshop in Newtown, Johannesburg Muholi had their first solo exhibition at Johannesburg Art Gallery in 2006. In 2009, Zanele completed an MFA: Documentary Media at Ryerson University, Toronto. In 2013 they became an Honorary Professor at the University of the Arts/Hochschule für Künste Bremen.

In 2002, they cofounded and worked as a community-relations officer for the Forum for the Empowerment of Women, a black lesbian organisation based in Gauteng. They also reported and photographed for the blog Behind the Mask, which focused on gay and lesbian issues in the African continent.

Their first collection in 2004, Visual Sexuality: In Only Half the Picture, was exhibited at the Johannesburg Art Gallery. This exhibition featured photographs of survivors of rape and hate crimes as well as an image of a rape and an assault case number giving LGBTQI+ people a voice. The images were captured in a way that did not reveal the participant’s gender, thereby retaining the person’s anonymity (many LGBTQI+ people in South Africa fear a violent backlash after exposing their sexuality, despite laws protecting them). These works were mostly about bringing visibility of queer people in the black community to the forefront, encouraging a dialogue.

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life for multiple purposes. The pegs lend an unexpected aesthetic to the photo (entitled Bester I, Mayotte, 2015) and allow it to be read differently in the fashion world; the same goes for the striped mat. The pegs themselves can be seen as functional art in this regard. The striped doormat can also be used as shawl, but in this case, it was meant for something else.

What people call a prop, I call material. The viewer is forced to rethink how they think about the materials—and their history,” they added.

“I looked directly at the camera in order to create a sense of questioning or confrontation which could be read by viewers in different ways,” they said.

Muholi’s efforts of creating a more positive visualisation of LGBTQI+ Africans combats the homophobic-motivated violence that is prevalent in South Africa today, especially in the case of black lesbians. While black women’s bodies appear frequently throughout sexualised pop-culture, black lesbians are viewed (through the lens of the patriarchy and heteronormativity) as undesirable. This negative view of homosexuals in Africa leads to violence, such as murder and rape, and rejection from their families. . Through their artistic approach they hopes to document the journey of the African queer community as a record for future generations, encouraging awareness, acceptance, and positivity with the queer community as well as in the broader South African population.

This series of photographs was followed by Innovative Women in 2009 which was shown in Durban and Cape Town. It was curated by painter Bongi Bhengu and featured the works of 9 other artists and photographer Nandipha Mntambo. In August that year, the Minister of Arts and Culture Lulu Xingwana walked out of the exhibition due to Muholi’s photography, calling it immoral, offensive and going against nation-building. In their response Muholi

My reality is that I do not mimic being black; it is my skin...

The series Faces and Phases that began in 2006 and now includes more than 250 portraits—featuring queer couples and trans, lesbian, and genderqueer individuals presenting themselves to the camera, looking directly into the lens. It is, in part, a visual archive that does not play into any stereotypes or fears about this community, but rather respects and validates this community’s existence.

Race and racism have for centuries been part and parcel of the South African landscape and is currently very topical internationally with the explosion of the Black-Lives-Matter movement worldwide.

The self-portraits which make up the bulk of their work are striking. They use a variety of materials to fashion headdresses and clothing and after the initial visual impact of the photographs, on closer inspection one sees that a headdress is made up of washing-line pegs or old bicycle tyres and tubing. Their creativity is boundless resulting in powerful messaging that connects with the viewer.

Zanele when asked about the use of these everyday items said, “I looked at how different people can use the materials of daily

”

said “It’s paralysing. I expected people to think before they act, and to ask questions. I wanted to create dialogue.”

Trans(figures) followed in 2010–2011 which embraced lesbian and trans life.

In 2015 she presented Isibonelo/Evidence a solo show of eightyseven works which she presented at the Brooklyn Museum in New York City.

Somnyama Ngonyama (“Hail the Dark Lioness”) (2012–present) is a series of self-portraits where they use their body to confront the politics of race and representation, questioning the way the black body is shown and perceived. Talking about the show, Muholi said, “This [show] is on race, specifically responding to a number of events that are taking place in South Africa and beyond. There’s a lot of ongoing racism that is taking place and we hardly have the opportunity to respond as art practitioners or creatives to speak to such atrocities, violent racism, and displacement of our people,” the artist said. “I’m not talking about myself only, but I’m talking about many other people whose voices are there but not heard.”

Speaking of the exhibition they said, “I’m reclaiming my black-

© Zanele Muholi. Courtesy of Stevenson, Cape Town/Johannesburg and Yancey Richardson, New York

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ness, which I feel is continuously performed by the privileged other. My reality is that I do not mimic being black; it is my skin, and the experience of being black is deeply entrenched in me. Just like our ancestors, we live as black people 365 days a year, and we should speak without fear.”

Zanele is a self-described visual activist, bringing worldwide attention to the violence black lesbians suffer in South Africa whilst offering positive images of the LGBTQI+ community on the African continent. Their body of work presents her culture, history, sexuality and helps the viewer get to know them on a more personal level than other artists. “As LGBTQI+ we still fighting the same war of the past, where our bodies are violated on daily basis simply because of gender expression, or simply because of our sexuality,” Muholi says. “We are talking about a phenomenon that is ongoing, where members of our community perish unnecessarily because of hate. People believe that we shouldn’t exist, we shouldn’t survive, and the root of all of this is ignorance.”

Muholi first received global attention from the art world in 2012 at Documenta, a world-famous exhibition of modern and contemporary art in (Germany). Since then they have received a host of awards and accolades which include the Rees Visionary Award by Amref Health Africa (2019); a fellowship from the Royal Photographic Society, UK (2018); France’s Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (2017); the Mbokodo Award in the category of Visual Arts (2017); ICP Infinity Award for Documentary and Photojournalism (2016); Africa’Sout! Courage and Creativity Award (2016); Outstanding International Alumni Award from Ryerson University (2016); Fine Prize for an emerging artist at the 2013 Carnegie International; Prince Claus Award (2013); Index on Censorship - Freedom of Expression art award (2013);

and Casa Africa award for best female photographer and Fondation Blachère award at Les Rencontres de Bamako biennial of African photography (2009).

Sources: The Stranger. Lens Culture, Artskop, Wikipedia, British Journal of Photography

© Zanele Muholi. Courtesy of Stevenson, Cape Town/Johannesburg and Yancey Richardson, New York Mag 26

WORD PERFECT

A DUTIFUL BOY

A Dutiful Boy is a moving memoir about growing up gay and Muslim.

Many young people struggling with coming out and are conflicted with religion and their sexuality and go through a harrowing time not only with coming to terms with who they are but needing to get those they love, respect and need to accept them as well. The book will be of particular to interest to young Muslims, especially those from devout homes.

The premise of this searing memoir of criminal barrister and debut author Mohsin Zaidi centres on the fact that one’s queer Muslim identity does not have to be centred on trauma.

In a recent interview with AnOther, Mohsin said, “I’ve had to deal with conflicting identities for so long and now I feel like I’m in a place where they can co-exist harmoniously.”

When asked about the title of the book, Mohsin explained, “There’s something in that word ‘dutiful’ that I thought was really important. The word ‘dutiful’ really invokes the idea of expectation, obligation and culture and wanting to do the right thing as well as a struggle to be somebody.”

The book stresses the importance of Mohsin’s family bonds, very often leading many queer youngsters, and queer Muslims particular, to have to choose between their queer family, their faith or community but he showed how it’s possible to embrace all. He stressed that “Everybody’s journey is different. It’s still something a lot of people struggle with and I think it will be for a while,” but for him, “the message is one of love. I found a way of loving my family and they found a way to love me in spite of the barriers between us. For me, getting my parents on board wasn’t a political agenda – it was about love.” end of the book, in the hope that if readers are feeling isolated, AnOther asked, “The book illuminates on not only race and they can know that they have somewhere to turn.” sexuality but on class and social barriers – why was it important for you to focus on this? To which Mohsin replied, “I A Dutiful Boy makes for a deeply moving and ultimately didn’t understand the class system until I went to Oxford and triumphant memoir. realised things like the fact that not everybody needed a loan to pay for university. Class is the biggest obstacle we face in a society. It’s a problem that’s getting worse because the gap between the rich and poor is getting wider. Unless we acknowledge this and do something to remedy it, the problem is going to persist. Gender, race and class are not separate from each other. If you’re an ethnic minority, you’re disproportionately likely to be poor. Women earn less than men in alike jobs and working-class women have very particular issues that other women do not. For me, class permeates everything. The way we speak, what school we went to, what university we went to, even when it comes to our supermarkets!” I’m sure, in this country, however, race can replace the word “class” and there are the same social issues he experienced.

On the motivation for writing this memoir, Mohsin said, “I felt very alone growing up. I guess I want young people struggling with their identity to feel less alone. If it does that, then I will have succeeded. A book like this might have helped me when I was younger. That’s one of the reasons I wrote it. If it does help save lives – or save even one life – it has done something really positive. But it’s difficult for me to engage with whether it will or not. I included a list of resources at the

Mag 27 Mag 27

Photo: Cottonbro from Pexels

Photo: Sara Motta from Pexels

Photo: Jameson Mallari Atenta from Pexels

DOES STR8 ACTING ROCK YOUR BOAT Is it a fantasy knowing that it is unlikely you’re going to get to shag a straight man? Is it just your “type”? or is it something deeper - an internalised homophobia perhaps? Is it time we asked the question... ?

O

n dating sites one often comes across the term “straight-acting” Here we take a look at why ‘Straight-Acting’ is a troubling term for gay men.

The ‘No Femmes’ mentality reinforces that archaic idea that being openly gay is something to be ashamed of. It’s time to challenge that.

Before I came out and accepted myself for being gay, I was trying desperately to hide it.

For the longest time, I tried everything in my power to edit myself. My voice. My manner. The words I used or didn’t use. How I walked. Laughed. And cried.

Anything to make myself appear as a traditional man’s man.

As a gay man who lives in the countryside, I rely heavily on dating apps to remind me of the fact I’m not ‘the only gay in the village’. That there are more out there, like me, albeit a few hundred kilometres away.

But with each new profile, faceless or otherwise, is a now common tag line attached — ‘straight-acting, masculine…no femmes please’.

I read it with an eye-roll every time and wonder to myself, who on Earth decided what is or isn’t masculine? But the tag line is becoming a staple part of the gay community. And it’s an attitude that should be challenged.

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EMPHASIS ON MASCULINITY — A BLIGHT ON THE GAY COMMUNITY ‘Masc 4 Masc’ stands for a self-identified masculine man looking for another masculine man. Found on dating profiles, it’s usually followed by a defensive cliché such as ‘not into femme, no offense, it’s just my type. Respect that.’

When I see ‘no femme’ taglines, it reinforces that archaic idea that being anything other than straight is mediocre ...

In this context, the masculinity they refer can mean anything from : • someone who is predominately interested in fitness, sport, wood-cutting…you know, manly things?

• who can pass as a heterosexual person in public, and seen as ‘straight-acting’, because being ‘too gay’ is a bad thing?

• isn’t into traditionally ‘feminine’ things or gay culture such as drag queens, fashion, pop music…or anything relatively fun Let me be clear, I think it’s perfectly fine and acceptable that in this world of billions of people, you have a type. I think it’s perfectly fine to be looking for a set of characteristics from a potential partner.

But equating that as a gay man, other men are beneath you simply for being who they are crosses so many boundaries it’s ghastly.

When I see ‘no femme’ tag lines, it reinforces that archaic idea that being anything other than straight is mediocre and something to be ashamed of.

I’ve had many men on these apps using my being out as a gay man as some sort of a negative — ‘oh so people KNOW you’re gay?!’ sets off some sort of alarm bells in their head. To explicitly state traits you think are negative from a man, and to sign-post that on a public profile is quite tactless and reinforces decades upon decades of stigma levelled against the gay community.

It’s internalized homophobia on a public scale. That by being straight-acting is somehow a ‘superior life choice’, fails to recognise there are many, many types of masculinity in the world.

And femininity...

And really when you think about it, equating liking rugby instead of RuPaul’s Drag Race as something which makes you more of a man, is a pretty narrow mindset which reeks of privilege.

And it’s long time we address this.

HETEREONORMATIVITY AND INTERNALIZED HOMOPHOBIA At teacher training college, we had whole semesters on child psychology based around homophobic bullying. In many countries, Ireland for example, it’s a topic that is incredibly interesting given their long lineage of Catholicism.

We learned as a society, how we put hyper-masculinity and hetereonormativity on a pedestal— how society tends to accept, unknowingly, that straight life is the normal, only choice.

At college we began learning how societies obsess with masculinity can often lead to toxic bullying in a variety of settings, especially in school and the workplace aimed at those who do not fit into the mold.

Photo by Cesar Galeão from Pexels Photo by Ronê Ferreira from Pexels

Why it’s important for some men to feel like a conventional masculine man, and more importantly that everyone else in society sees them as manly too. The phrase “man’s man”, springs to mind.

We learned how rappers in music continue to use the term faggot to emasculate their competition. Calling them gay was a direct attack on their masculine identity, making them appear ‘less of a man’.

Because someone decided somewhere and somehow that if you weren’t straight you weren’t counted. And if you liked men, akin to how straight women like men, well you’re just not the full man anymore.

We heard how in many, many cases of school shootings in America, most of the bullying that acted as a catalyst for the violence stemmed from attacking ‘masculine identities’ — many of the perpetrators were called gay. Psychologists examined whether being called ‘less of a man’ was a reason for making them do heinous acts of violence to ‘prove themselves’.

It struck me, listening to how society covets masculinity, that as a marginalised group in society, the gay community can perpetrate these stereotypes tenfold.

Perhaps it comes from an internalised homophobia, how we are so ingrained in seeing masculinity from traditionally straight roles, that we potentially want to amplify that in our community?

Article: Barry O’Rourke medium.com

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Clear, bright eyes are sexy coupled with an Andrew Christian Striped Glam Mask

STAYING SEXY AND COVID SAFE The easiest thing one can do to be safe from COVID-19 is rock a cute mask, but that still seems to be an issue for so many people and we’re not sure why. Remember those hot ass dudes from ‘Mortal Kombat,’ Sub-Zero and Scorpion? Total dominatrix vibe from those two hot pieces of ass, and you know what? They rocked masks and we’re pretty sure everyone would want to be as sexy as two of the hottest video game characters to ever have existed. Other than wearing masks and ensuring the safety of those around you, there are other ways to remain sexy as fuck AND remain safe during this global pandemic.

Article written by Kendra Beltran for Andrew Christian

HAND LOTION Washing your hands for 20 seconds every damn time you walk in the house after you’ve run some essential (and let’s face it non-essential too because we’re all bored as fuck sitting at home) errand can leave your hands as dry as the vajayjays in a retirement home. That’s not cute. We know you aren’t going to be holding hands or stroking anything anytime soon, but that doesn’t mean you can go around with gator-hands. Invest in a really nice hand lotion and put that right next to the soap in your bathroom. Make it a routine you stick to because once you’re able to go back to the club, bar, sauna or steams and meet all of them men, you don’t want to introduce yourself with a rough paw for a hand.

SMIZE

(Smize is to smile with your eyes, usually in a sexy and playful way.)

Who would have guessed that when Tyra Banks taught the world to smize, we’d be using it because of a pandemic? Yeah, not us. With the bottom portion of our faces covered by masks, it’s hard to express our full emotion, especially when trying to catch the eye of that hot piece in the produce section. Usually, we’d have our whole face, but now we need to rely on just our eyes to initiate the first step of our sexy flirtations. Ways to increase your eye-game? Start with an eye cream to do away Mag 30

Andrew Christian Rainbow Glam Mask with any imperfections creeping up around your peepers. Trim those bushy brows and if you need it, clearing eye-drops to keep your oglers bright and perky – no one wants tired red-eye when trying to eyeball a hottie…

UTILIZE HOME WORKOUTS Back in March when the world hit pause, it was hard to be motivated to workout, but now? The grace period is over. There is no excuse why you can’t come out of this with a rocking ripped body. Especially since you can’t go out that much. YouTube has workouts galore, and you can always go jogging while still remaining six-feet from everyone else outside your home.

Stop binging on Netflix and Showmax, get off the couch and cut out all those sugary foods you’ve been wolfing during the winter.

Turn to page 36 for some great body-shaping home workouts that will see you emerge at the end of lockdown like a butterfly from its chrysalis!!

SEXT, CALL, OR ZOOM Meeting people in real life is cool, but why not strengthen your communication skills in other ways? Sharpen up your ways when it comes to sexting, utilising your voice, or making love to the camera. Anyone can get a guy hard in person, but it takes an extra amount of sexy to be able to pull it off while maintaining social distancing. Sexting is truly the in-thing, unless if course you’re one of the lucky ones with a live-in lover, friend with benefits or a shag down the hall…

Andrew Christian Electric Pride Glam Mask Alternatively, get on a video app like Whatsapp and have a oneon-one and with your hottie or set up a Zoom group sesh if that rocks your boat!

COVER YOUR NOSE There are those who don’t wear a mask out in public, and they are the least sexy people on earth right now. Then there are those who do and look hot because there is nothing sexier right now than respecting safety guidelines. Then we have those who have masks but for some reason don’t cover their nose, and like... honey, what you doin’? That ain’t cute and you look a mess. It’s like having your whole outfit on point and then walking out of the house in your dad’s chunky, dirty white shoes he mows the lawn in. Like, what? If you’re going to look hot wearing a mask, you have got to wear it right and tight – right!

Check out Andrew Christian’s awesome collection of sexy masks to make you not only feel safe but sexy and they’ll set you apart at www.andrewchristian.com.

Andrew Christian Rainbow Unicorn Glam Mask Andrew Christian Slick Mesh Glam Mask

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CAPE TOWN PRIDE & CAPE TOWN CARNIVAL FOOD PARCELS FOR NEEDY LGBTI COMMUNITY MEMBERS

There are 3 options you can choose from to help: Shoprite/Checkers virtual vouchers https://tickets.computicket.com/…/ sh…/7145292/7145306/107235 Please send the voucher to: 082 562 3358

2. Pick ’n Pay virtual voucher https://www.webtickets.co.za/v2/event.aspx?itemid=1501880399 Please send the voucher to: fooddrive@capetownpride.org

3. Cash Donation Please use the following bank account number for cash donation: Bank Account Details: Bank - First National Bank Branch - Sea Point Branch Code - 201809 Name - OUTReach Africa Account Number: 62578991278 Account Type - Current Account SWIFT Code: FIRNZAJJ

PLE AS H EL E PE P O STA PLE A R RV ING E !

Please send PoP to: fooddrive@capetownpride.org Please send your name/company to: fooddrive@capetownpride. org so that we can keep track of all donations made - and also to thank you!

Mag 32

Cape Town Pride, in conjunction with OUTReach Africa, needs your help with our FOOD DRIVE! During this trying times we have received countless messages from LGBTI+ community members that are struggling with basic necessities ... like food!

Cape Town Pride would like to help these vulnerable members of the community during this time but we can only do this with your help.

TRUE TO YOU - BE WHO YOU ARE

Mag 33

THE BUZZ TRUMP - THE MOST PRO-LGBTI+ PRESIDENT!

P

resident Donald Trump praised a video declaring him the “most pro-gay president” in history.

The video featuring Richard Grenell, the former U.S. ambassador to Germany, and produced by Log Cabin Republicans, makes the case Trump is the better candidate for LGBTQ rights Grenell, who as acting director of National Intelligence had the honour of being the first openly gay Cabinet official in U.S. history.

“Joe (Biden) must have been terrified when Donald Trump appointed me as acting Director of National Intelligence,” Grenell says. “The fact I’m gay didn’t even faze Donald Trump.

After denouncing Biden, Grenell’s video makes the case that Trump has a proLGBTQ record, arguing he “has done more to advance the rights of gays and lesbians in three years than Joe Biden did in 40-plus years in Washington.”

Trump, however, had opposed same-sex marriage throughout his 2016 campaign and said he’d “strongly consider” appointing justices that would overturn the Supreme Court ruling in favour of marriage equality.

Grenell also gives Trump credit for the global initiative to decriminalise homosexuality in the 69 countries where it remains illegal, which Grenell spearheaded during his time in the administration. Trump did bring up that initiative in a 2019 speech before the United Nations, as the video references.

“Gays and lesbians can be put to death in nine countries just for being who we are, so why did Joe Biden fail to make this Mag 34

issue a priority?” Grenell asks, ignoring how Biden on numerous occasions in public remarks has denounced human rights abuses against LGBTQ people, including those in Chechnya, El Salvador, Malaysia and Uganda.

“Proud gay people don’t like to be silent, they like to be loud,” Grenell says. “They like to be loud. Yesterday’s champions of diversity are today’s intolerance. Well, I love this country and I’m not going to silent.”

That would be consistent with Grenell’s approach to politics since he left the administration. Grenell has tussled with critics in fiery exchanges on Twitter, even initiating exchanges with LGBTQ advocacy groups, for what he says is not giving Trump fair credit for work on LGBTQ issues.

Trump’s anti-LGBTQ actions during his administrations have been widely reported. Among them are the transgender military ban, arguing before the U.S. Supreme Court LGBTQ people shouldn’t be covered under federal civil rights law, opposing the Equality Act and siding with taxpayer-funded religious adoption agencies seeking to refuse placement into LGBTQ homes.

KIM’S STORY: GROWING UP GAY IN SOUTH AFRICA

Kim, 17, at Johannesburg Pride.

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eet Kim, a 17-year-old girl living in the township Alexandra, known as Alex, in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Alex is one of the oldest townships in the country and faces many challenges: it’s overcrowded, unemployment is high and health services are scarce. Sexual violence and abuse are a daily threat for girls and women living in Alex.

For the LGBTQ community, and young gay people like Kim, there are extra risks.

Despite the fact that South Africa has some of the world´s most progressive legislation protecting LGBTQ rights, homophobia and homophobic violence is rampant. Threats and discrimination are part of their daily reality.

We spoke to Kim about her life as a young, gay woman living in the area.

“For a girl to grow up in Alex, it’s not a good thing. Girls get mugged and raped in the parks. You have to think about the threats when you’re going and coming back from school.

It is astounding that Log Cabin Republicans (aka gay Republicans)can continue to bury their heads in the sand and not see that it was President Obama who was the most influential and supportive US President when it came to the LGBTI+ community.

I cannot be who I am in Alex because a lot of people don’t have knowledge about gay people. They think that if you’re a girl and a lesbian you’re just trying to be a boy. And if you’re a boy being gay you’re just trying to be a girl.

President Trump clearly suffers from delusions to add to the numerous other mental health issues he appears to suffer from.

Society thinks of boys and girls in a certain way. It thinks that a boy should behave in a certain way and that a girl should behave in a certain way. And when a girl does not behave in that way they tend to criticise and judge.

KIRVAN FORTUIN (1992-2020) A girl is supposed to be feminine. You have to dress up, wear make-up, do nice hair styles. Gender roles have a real impact when it comes to girls and boys.”

For many years, Kim has been part of Save the Children’s youth clubs where participants learn about gender roles, harmful gender norms and how to participate and access their rights in society. As an active member, Kim has grown in confidence and today she is leading workshops in schools on gender issues.

Together with one of the Save the Children staff, Kim went to her first Pride Parade in Johannesburg in November 2018. At that time, Kim had just told a few people about her sexuality, but during the year that followed Kim came out to her friends and family.

When she came out to her mum, she started off as if she was joking.

“I told her I that I was joking, I asked her ‘How would you feel if I married a girl, would you come to the wedding?’

She said ‘Instead of asking me about your education you’re asking to me about you and girls.’ And then that was it.

And then I asked my Aunt: ‘Is it a sin to date a girl?’ and she said ‘No it’s just who you love so it’s OK’.

The most important thing in my life is my mum because she is my rockstar. She is my pillar of strength. She is my everything.

I think once I am 18 I will have a serious talk with my mum because now I am still under her care so I have to obey what she says. I can’t wait because I wouldn’t want my mum missing my wedding or not being part of my family when I am grown because she can’t accept my sexuality. So I would really want her to accept who I am because she is the only person I have.

If she doesn’t accept me it it’s going to be hard.

No matter what people say, this is who I am and this is how I will live my life. The rainbow is in my blood so I must embrace it.”

In 2019, Kim marched at Pride again. This time she brought her girlfriend as well as 35 friends from her school and from Save the Children’s youth clubs. She describes Pride: “At Pride there is so much energy and so much excitement.

There are a lot of people here, and I brought a lot of people.

Last year I had such an amazing experience, so I want them to have the same experience as me. To know that it’s OK to be yourself, it’s OK to be you, and you have a community that will support you.

When you see Pride you think ‘wow, South Africa does this’ but when you go back into deep into the communities like mine you will be shocked around the things they do to queer people.”

You can listen to Kim’s story on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

This article was first published on Save The Children, South Africa - Reprinted with permission

I

t is with deep sadness that we say goodbye to Kirvan Fortuin, a young, talented choreographer, dancer and LGBTI+ activist who was stabbed in June this year.

Kirvan, who was the recipient of several prestigious awards, in South Africa, the Netherlands and Switzerland, from government, civil society and the art world, will be deeply missed.

The young dancer established the Kirvan Fortuin Foundation and Fortuin Dance Theatre and through his work provided several employment opportunities to dancers and choreographers across South Africa. He also founded the House of Le Cap, South Africa’s first ballroom house and was dedicated to nurturing young talent with a passion for dance.

Artscape CEO Marlene Le Roux said, “you left us too soon.

We lost a talented artist, a voice of vigour. Against all odds you challenged stereotypes in South Africa, also as an advocate of gay rights. You defied all odds...”

Kirvan was stabbed after an argument with a 14 year old girl and died on his way to the hospital.

It is always tragic when a young person’s life is taken but especially so when they are as talented as this young man who had everything to live for...Kirvan will be sadly missed.

Western Cape cultural affairs MEC Anroux Marais said in a statement. “Our deepest condolences go out to Kirvan’s family and friends and especially to those in the Arts and Culture spheres who walked this path with Kirvan. The Western Cape has lost a true inspiration in Kirvan but we will continue to celebrate his legacy for many years to come.”

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Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

‘HOW I FOUND OUT MY PARTNER WAS GAY’

By Sarah Bell (Victoria Derbyshire programme)

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any gay men and women end up marrying people of the opposite sex. But what is it like for the spouse who eventually finds their marriage breaking down?

Most stories are of gay men who had married women. But what about those who had experienced it from the other side - those whose wives and husbands had come out as gay.

“It feels almost homophobic to say anything about them. To me it’s not brave to spend 10 or 20 years with someone only to destroy and discard them,” says Emma. She found out her husband was gay a year ago.

“They may go on and have a wonderful new life while leaving a crushed wife behind. You just feel like your whole life is wasted and there’s no closure.”

One of the most difficult things for many spouses is watching their former partner being celebrated as brave for coming out, but knowing the damage they’ve left behind.

It is an experience to which Carol, 43, can relate. With her former husband now active in gay rights, she received a message calling him an inspiration and a role model.

“I was disgusted by this, that someone actually considered him to be both of these things when he had spent our entire relationship lying to both himself and myself.

“To me, there is nothing to be proud of - he destroyed our family through his failure to admit that he was in fact gay,” she explains.

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They had married in 2003 and have two children - she says she was “very happy and in love”.

But there were signs something wasn’t right, including gay dating profiles on his computer, which he explained away. In 2009 he said he was bisexual but wanted to be with her.

Carol admits she was probably in denial but thought they would find a way through it as he was the man with whom she wanted to spend her life.

A year later it came to a head when he came home, said he was gay, and left.

“I thought my whole world had fallen apart but then he came back and said let’s stay together for the sake of the kids. I didn’t know what to do so we lived a lie for two years. To anyone else we looked like a normal happy couple,” she said.

But it didn’t work and they divorced.

Carol says the difficulty was the shock - he’d had time to get used to it but for her it happened so quickly. He’s now married to a man and she says they get on for the sake of their children.

“It took me a long time to get over it, for me it is a trust issue.

How can I trust anyone again? I can’t compete with other men, I’m a woman, but he should have been truthful from the start.

“It would have been easier if it had been a woman - at least he would have loved me in the first place. He says he loved me but I don’t believe him.”

Kevin, 51, had been with his wife for seven years when she asked if he’d mind living in the spare room while she had a female partner. He’d had no idea she was gay.

“One day, she came to me and said: ‘Is it OK if I had a girlfriend?’

“If a partner has an affair with the opposite sex you can be angry but this is so much more complicated. She’d been feeling like this for two years but said nothing,” he says.

She wanted to remain married, but he couldn’t live a lie and they divorced. They haven’t spoken since and she now has a female partner.

Kevin’s life fell apart and he became suicidal.

“I wanted to make a go of my marriage, I had everything invested in it, I didn’t want to be a failure. I felt a failure as a man and a husband. It was bad, very, very, bad.”

There are all kinds of reasons why people commit to straight relationships when they are gay - they may not have fully realised their feelings, hope they will go away or fear they will suffer prejudice. Some may have been together for years after marrying at a time when society was less accepting of gay people.

Former Welsh rugby player Gareth Thomas has talked about how he doesn’t believe he would have reached the top in the sport if he had been openly gay. When he came out in 2009 he said he had been in denial about his true feelings and had genuinely been in love with his wife.

Both Carol and Kevin have a clear message for those who are in straight marriages but think they may be gay.

“You have to be honest with yourself and your partner, especially when kids are involved. Not knowing your own sexuality and taking time to decide hurts everyone involved. Be true to who you are,” says Carol.

Kevin adds: “The sooner you come out the better for everyone concerned. It might be difficult, it might end a marriage, but the fact is you can’t start to repair while they’re in the closet but you’re nailed to the outside and don’t even know it.”

Six years on, he describes his life as “brilliant” and now supports people going through the same experience. He says people in his position should contact a support group.

“It will get better. It’s been difficult, my life has now taken a completely different path, but is better than I could have ever hoped,” he says.

IMPORTANT NUMBERS

IM NO POR PR TE TH TANT I CR DE SH E NEW ISI S N ELTE UM R N 072 ICOLE BER 287 631 0

Mag 37

FITNESS

GET IN SHAPE

UNDER LOCKDOWN From Andrew Christian by Kendra Beltran

Gyms are opening up, but many of us are still wary of working out in the company of 50 other ... so if you’re not ready to get back to gym, here are a few exercises that will get you and keep you in shape till Covid-19 is a thing of the past ...

Sex is the one physical activity no one on earth minds, but it can be a bit daunting for those who aren’t in the best shape. You run the risk of not lasting as long for a myriad of reasons from your legs cramping up to becoming winded after only five minutes. The list goes on and on. To make matters worse, gyms are shut down right now for good reason, but that doesn’t mean you have to stop working out. Now, this list is for everyone out there especially tops in mind because it takes a hell of a lot of stamina to be a top (we love you too, bottoms).

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Photo by Josef Pascal from Pexels

L

et’s start at the base, the legs. Legs are an important part of the body when you’re topping because they help you stay balanced and help to drive that power-tool home. There is plenty of leg exercises you can do within the comfort of your own home, in your backyard, or safely distancing at a local park.

SINGLE-LEG HIP RAISE For those with absolutely no workout equipment, we got you. For this one, all you need is a floor. What you’re going to do is lay down on your back with your arms at your sides. Start with your left leg bent at the knee, so that your left foot is on the floor. Leave your right leg flat.

Now you can begin to work them out by raising your right leg until it’s as high as your left thigh that’s chilling bent. Squeeze those glutes (that ass) and push your hips up. Take a second to pause in that position and then return to where you started. Do a few reps on each side and BAM! you’ve nailed it!

SCISSOR BOX JUMP This one is for my people who have some workout equipment or want to head to the park and workout shirtless in hopes of scoring a number during their exercise time. Either way, you’re going to start with your left foot up on that box and your right foot on the ground. Then you’re going to jump and switch leg positions. Don’t forget to pause in between jumps. OMG. I’m out of breath just thinking about doing that one.

One thing people often forget when they workout is to stretch. That only leaves your muscles in a horrible position. All tight and hurting because you never give them any sort of relief! No more of that. So right now we want to focus on stretching those hips because with your legs doing their thing for balance as a top, hips are putting the motion in your ocean honey. And trust, you do not want to pull a hip muscle while thrusting in your lovely bottom.

LYING HIP ROTATIONS This is by far the easiest stretch you will ever do in your entire life.

Lay on the floor, bend your left leg, place your right leg so that your right ankle is resting on your left knee. Once you’re in that position you’re going to use your right hand to move your right leg back and forth. You should be able to feel stretching happening in your right hip.

Once you flip the script and change to the opposite side, you’ll feel it in your left.

BUTTERFLY STRETCH I know we have all blocked out a majority of memories from middle school gym class, but hopefully you remember this one. You sit on the floor with your legs bent so that your feet are together. With your hands behind you for support, start to flutter those legs slowly up and down (like they’re butterfly wings) and feel those inner thighs start to come alive!

Photo: Leon Martinez from Pexels

PUSH-UPS Maintain and develop awesome arms and get a great core workout at the same time. Lie facedown on the floor, hands shoulder length apart and push yourself up… hold it!… Hold it! … slowly let yourself down again.

Great exercise for improving your missionary position technique!

Try and do about 15 reps at a time. Phew! You’ll thank me when you see the improvement in arms and a flat stomach. To increase the difficulty, (as if those are too easy), try push ups with your hands closer together, or get some kettle-bells… enjoy the workout and marvel at the results.

Now that you’re all stretched and worked out, happy great sex once this Covid pandemic is behind us!

Photo: Ketut Subiyanto from Pexels

You’ve worked on your legs and hips, but now we’re going to get you a couple of exercises you can do to maintain your core because it all works together like a well-oiled sex machine. We’ll leave you with one of the best core exercises that is both easy and hard all at the same time. Planking is easy because all it takes is you, but it’s hard as hell because you have to support your weight...So in case you are unfamiliar with the plank, here we go. Prop yourself up on your forearms and make your body as straight as a hetero boy during Craven Week but having lower body up on your toes. Hold that position for 30-60 seconds. Take a breather and repeat a few times.

Mag 39

MENS HEALTH

DRINK THE RAINBOW Photo: Sharon McCutcheon from Pexels

ENERGY BOOSTING RED SMOOTHIE Beets are SO good for you. They nourish blood and tone the heart. Athletes are starting to drink beet juice as a form of endurance therapy. They are anti-carcinogenic, good for anaemia, and relieve constipation. You can also eat them raw because their amazing goodness is even more pumped up this way.

Cherries are one of the best foods to combat many types of arthritis and joint pain.

Also, because cherries help improve circulation, they can be helpful for post-stroke patients. Chinese medicine, believes that cherries help to maintain the body’s “essence” or life-force. You can keep bags of frozen cherries in the freezer to add to any smoothie at anytime, but when fresh cherries are in season, that’s when they re best! .

Raspberries are an anti-aging fruit. They are great for men who are experiencing frequent urination and for men and women with vision issues. They have anti-cancer and anti-inflammation properties. In Chinese medicine, raspberries are an herb called Fu Pen Zi. This Chinese herb is prescribed for impotence, premature ejaculation, poor vision, and frequent urination. Raspberries are great for you, but if you are experiencing difficulty urinating, that’s when this berry should be avoided.

Goji berries are a Chinese herb (Gou Qi Zi). This herb is great for your blood. They are often prescribed to people with chronic pain in the legs and lower back. They are also good for men experiencing impotence and can be used to treat some eye problems. Women who are pregnant and people with intestinal issues should be careful not to eat too many gojis, but the amount in this smoothie should be fine for anyone.

Cranberries are a wonder food, with 9 amazing benefits - Cranberries are the powerhouse of antioxidants, they’re heart healthy, prevent UTI’s, boosts brain power, prevents cancer, helps with weight loss, combat tooth decay, nourishes your skin and boosts immunity – now if this isn’t a wonder food I don’t know what is.

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Dates are rich in potassium, dietary fibre and tannins. Fibre is good for your gut and tannins help the body fight inflammation and infection. Dates are also rich in vitamin A and iron. The most amazing thing about dates is that they can be used to replace sugar in almost anything. Stop using sweetened protein powders in smoothies and try unsweetened ones, but add a few dates.

THE AMAZING ENERGY BOOSTING RED SMOOTHIE

Tocotrienols are a powdered form of vitamin E. Add some of this to this smoothie because it’s so good for your skin, heart, and hair. It can also reduce inflammation and actually combat sun damage… and summer is coming!

INGREDIENTS ¼ cup tart cherry juice ¼ cup fresh orange juice ½ cup water ½ cup frozen raspberries 5-8 ice cubes 1 Tbs beet boost (beet-cherry powder) (or you can and 1 roasted beet, or a scoop of beet powder) 1 Tbs Cranberries or goji berries 2 pitted dates 1 Tbs Vitamin E powder (Tocotrienols) - (optional) orange wedges and extra raspberries, for garnish

Total time: 5 mins - Serves: 2 From: Kitchen of Youth

INSTRUCTIONS Put all ingredients in a blender and whiz it up until it’s smooth!

Garnish with orange wedges and more raspberries.

ORANGE JUICE SMOOTHIE Preparation time: 10 mins Serves: 1 From: Foodviva

Photo: Isabella Mendes from Pexels

ORANGE JUICE SMOOTHIE Oranges are an excellent source of vitamin C, which is associated with a reduced risk of colon cancer. They promote a healthy immune system and are good for preventing colds and preventing recurrent ear infections. Anti-oxidants in oranges help protect skin from free radical damage known to cause signs of aging. An orange a day can help you look young even at 50! They also help keeping blood pressure under check. Being rich in Vitamins B6, which helps support the production of haemoglobin.

Also a source of magnesium. Oranges help lower cholesterol.

Research shows that a class of compounds found in citrus fruit peels called Polymethoxylated Flavones (PMFs) help to lower cholesterol more effectively than some prescription drugs without side effects. Oranges assist in controlling blood sugar levels and the fibre in oranges helps with problems associated with constipation. They assist in lowering the risk of cancer as they contain D-limonene, a compound touted to prevent cancers like lung, skin and even breast cancer. Oranges also alkalise the body, helping with digestion. Oranges promote good eye health, being a rich source of carotenoid. The vitamin A in oranges also helps prevent age-related macular degeneration.

Bananas are respectable sources of vitamin C, as well as manganese which is great for your skin. The high source of potassium in bananas is good for your heart health and blood pressure.

Bananas are also great in helping with digestion and can help beat gastrointestinal issues. One often sees athletes devouring a banana before they start. This is because they are an excellent energy booster minus the fats and cholesterol of others.

Mangos help facilitate healthy digestion and boost the body’s immunity. They also assist in lowering cholesterol and promoting good eye health. The clear the skin and a good source of natural healthy sugars that even diabetics can enjoy them. For those with weight issues, mangos help with weight loss.

INGREDIENTS 3/4 cup fresh orange juice (2 oranges) Half a banana (fresh or frozen) Half a cup of mango chunks (fresh or frozen) 2 ice cubes (crushed) Chuck all the ingredients in to a blender and whisk till smooth Enjoy this ice old, healthy smoothie to boost your body. A great way to start your day!

VIBRANT YELLOW SMOOTHIE Pineapple: the only natural source of an enzyme called bromelain that has several exciting health properties, including powerful anti-inflammatory effects. Pineapple and its compounds have been linked to many health benefits, including aiding digestion, boosting immunity and speeding up recovery from surgery, among others. Pineapple also contains nutrients that help build strong bones and is good for eye health. They are especially rich in vitamin C and manganese, and antioxidants known as flavonoids and phenolic acids which may reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and certain cancers. Pineapples contain a group of digestive enzymes known as bromelain, and is especially helpful for people with pancreatic insufficiency, a condition in which the pancreas cannot make enough digestive enzymes.

Mango and orange juice: these delicious and popular fruits are also nutritional powerhouses! Both contain antioxidants known to fight free radicals and even guard against certain cancers.

Turmeric: a highly researched spice that offers numerous health benefits. To highlight an especially important one: multiple studies have shown that turmeric significantly reduces depression symptoms. Eases arthritis symptoms - an active compound called curcumin, was found to be effective in reducing pain in patients with osteoarthritis. It helps prevent Alzheimer’s disease and fights cancer. Tumeric also boosts the immune system. Known to lower cholesterol, Tumeric also maintains ulcerative colitis remission and can help treat uveitis.

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iron, potassium, calcium, selenium and magnesium as well as the vitamins A, C, E, K and a good array of B vitamins including folic acid.

Preparation: 5 mins Serves: 2 From: 100 Days of Real Food INGREDIENTS: 2 cups spinach / Kale / Broccoli 2 cups water 1 cup mango 1 cup pineapple 2 bananas, Use at least one frozen fruit to chill your smoothie.

We often use frozen mangos and bananas our green smoothies .

INSTRUCTIONS: Tightly pack 2 cups of leafy greens in a measuring cup and then toss into blender.

Add water and blend together until all leafy chunks are gone.

Add mango, pineapple and bananas and blend again until smooth.

Pour into a jar (or cup of your choice).

Gulp or sip it and savour the goodness...

VIBRANT YELLOW SMOOTHIE From: Veggie Shake Preparation: 5 mins Serves: 1 INGREDIENTS: 2 cups frozen mango 1 cup frozen pineapple 1 cup fresh orange juice 1 tablespoon turmeric powder INSTRUCTIONS Add 2 cups frozen mango to your blender or food processor.

Toss in 1 cup frozen pineapple.

Sprinkle on a full tablespoon of turmeric powder.

Finally, pour in 1 cup of fresh orange juice.

Blend until smooth.

If you’re feeling fancy, we suggest topping your yellow smoothie with dried papaya, goji berries, omega-filled seeds, or all three.

GREEN SMOOTHIE Spinach is rich in vitamins A, C and K, magnesium, iron and manganese. Eating this leafy green veggie may benefit eye health, reduce oxidative stress and reduce blood pressure levels among other health functions. Whether you like it or not, spinach is surely one veggie that you must include in your daily diet.

Kale is among the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet. It is loaded with powerful antioxidants like quercetin and kaempferol and is an excellent source of vitamin C. Kale can help lower cholesterol, which may reduce the risk of heart disease. Kale is one of the best sources of vitamin K, which helps to make various proteins that are needed for blood clotting and the building of bones and healthy bone tissue.

Broccoli is a good source of fibre and protein, and contains Mag 42

Photo: Alisha Mishra from Pexels

BLUEBERRY SMOOTHIE It’s no wonder blueberries are considered a superfood. They help keep us looking (and feeling!) healthy, not to mention they are delightful to eat. Blueberries contain a plant compound called anthocyanin. This gives blueberries both their blue colour and many of their health benefits. They can help heart health, bone strength, skin health, blood pressure, diabetes management, cancer prevention, and mental health. One cup of blueberries provides 24 percent of a person recommended daily allowance of vitamin C. Blueberries contain iron, phos-

BLACKBERRY BANANA BLISS PURPLE SMOOTHIE Blackberries contain a wide array of important nutrients including potassium, magnesium and calcium, as well as vitamins A, C, E and most of our B vitamins. They are also a rich source of anthocyanins, powerful antioxidants that give blackberries their deep purple colour. As with other berries they are amongst the most nutritious foods on earth. Helping in the fight against cancer. They do wonders for the skin, slowing down its aging process. Regularly including blackberries in your diet will improved both motor and cognitive functions, thereby helping with mental health issues. They also could offer protection against inflammatory conditions such as arthritis, although more research is needed.

Prep Time: 5 minutes Servings: 1 From: Creme de la Crumb INGREDIENTS: 1 cup frozen blackberries 1/2 small frozen banana, slightly thawed 1/2 cup milk of choice 2-3 drops vanilla Photo: Roman Odintsov from Pexels phorous, calcium, magnesium, manganese, zinc, and vitamin K. Each of these is a component of bone. Adequate intake of these minerals and vitamins contributes to building and maintaining bone structure and strength. Blueberries are free of sodium and contain potassium, calcium, and magnesium great for controlling high blood pressure. The fibre, potassium, folate, vitamin C, vitamin B6, and phytonutrient content in blueberries supports heart health. The anti-oxidants help in the fight against cancer and this super-berry also helps with reducing the risk of cognitive damage, particularly in older women, they also improve a person’s short-term memory and motor coordination.

INSTRUCTIONS: Put milk, then fruit and vanilla in blender. Pulse 3-4 minutes until desired consistency is reached. Add sweetener or honey to taste.

BLUEBERRY SMOOTHIE Prep Time: 5 minutes Serves: 2 Make this blueberry smoothie for breakfast! This smoothie recipe is creamy, luscious and so nutritious. You’ll need frozen blueberries and bananas, almond butter and almond milk.

Recipe yields 2 servings (about 4 cups); you can easily halve or double the recipe.

INGREDIENTS: 1 ½ cups to 2 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk or water 1 ½ cups frozen blueberries 1 ½ cup frozen bananas ¼ cup almond butter Optional nutrition boosters: ¼ cup old-fashioned oats and/or 2 tablespoons flax seed 1 to 2 teaspoons maple syrup or honey if necessary INSTRUCTIONS: In a blender, combine all of the ingredients.

Blend on low until the blender gains traction, then ramp up to the highest speed as soon as possible (or if your blender has a smoothie function, that will work great). Stop to scrape down the sides or add more milk if necessary.

Once the smoothie is completely smooth and creamy, taste it and blend in maple syrup if you’d like a sweeter smoothie. Divide the smoothie into 2 glasses. Serve immediately!

Mag 43

OUT ON FILM LGBTI+ CINEMA AT ITS BEST

Pricilla, Queen of the Desert

A

fter decades of LGBTI+ characters being the villains, characters of ridicule or the sub-text of films because of Hollywood’s censorship laws, the past few decades have been great for LGBTI+ movies.

In 1994 Tom Hanks won the Best Actor Oscar for Philadelphia, Ten years later in 2004, Charlize Theron walked away with the Oscar for her superb performance in Monster. In 2016, Carol earned six Oscar nominations, and just a year later, for the first time in history, Moonlight became the first LGBTI+-themed movie to win Best Picture. At the 2019 Oscars, Olivia Colman was named Best Actress for playing the lesbian queen Anne in The Favourite, beating out Can You Ever Forgive Me?‘s Melissa McCarthy, who played lesbian writer Lee Israel. In 2020, Pedro Almadóvar’s Pain and Glory would make a dent on the awards circuit, as would Celine Sciamma’s romance Portrait Of A Lady On Fire, one of the best-reviewed movies of recent years. Meanwhile, Love, Simon made history in 2018 as the first mainstream, wide-release teenage rom-com to focus on a gay character (a spin-off TV series, Love, Victor was released in the US this June). And it wasn’t the last: A lesbian romance lies at the centre of critically acclaimed high school movie, Booksmart.

However, all of these films stand on the shoulders of other LGBTQ films that have come before. The list surprisingly stretches to hundreds over some 90 years of cinema from the pioneering German film, Mädchen in Uniform, a film that was subsequently banned by the Nazis, and crossed multiple continents, cultures, and genres.

There are the broad American comedies (The Birdcage), artful Korean crime dramas (The Handmaiden), ground breaking independants (Tangerine), iconic French humour (La Cage Aux Folles) and landmark documentaries (Paris Is Burning).

Here we list some of the best, most iconic and downright fun movies which include the most recent, among them the aforementioned Mag 44

Nathan Lane & Roin Williams were brilliant in The Birdcage

Portrait of a Lady On Fire and Pain and Glory, as well as documentary Circus of Books and Swedish-Georgian Cannes sensation, And Then We Danced.

In this list, we’ve included more stories from outside Hollywood, so perhaps readers can discover films like Taboo (Gohatto), a gay love story set during the waning years of the samurai era; The Wound (Inxeba), the South African film centred around three men during a tribal initiation ceremony, which was released to critical acclaim; and Australian film 52 Tuesdays, about the relationship between a daughter and her mother who is undergoing a gender transition.

We did not include miniseries, leaving out seminal works like Angels in America and both the British and American versions of Queer as Folk nor movies made for TV. Hopefully some of the films in the list will re-ignite healthy debates that have been fixtures of discussion around LGBTQ films — straight actors playing gay characters, cis actors playing trans characters, and the historical dominance of white male perspectives. For now, read on as we celebrate the work of iconic filmmakers, and actors whose talents and risks have opened up and pioneered great LGBTI+ cinema.

Download, rent, stream or buy these great movies to wile-away the hours of lockdown and (re)-acquaint yourself with some great LGBTI+ cinema classics, cult-movies and entertaining cinema.

THE ADVENTURES OF PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT (1994) While Priscilla delivers its fair share of laughs, camp and drag, it is also a surprisingly tender and thoughtful road movie with some outstanding performances… Whilst there is serious stereotyping, the film is never-the-less huge fun... Starring: Terence Stamp, Hugo Weaving, Guy Pearce, Bill Hunter

AND THEN WE DANCED (2019) centres on a male dancer and his partner who have been training for years for a spot in the National Georgian Ensemble. The arrival of another dancer throws him off balance, sparking both an intense rivalry and romantic desire that may cause him to risk his future. Led by an outstanding performance from Levan Gelbakhiani And Then We Danced defeats prejudice with overwhelming compassion....Starring: Levan Gelbakhiani, Bachi Valishvili, Ana Javakishvili, Kakha Gogidze BEAUTIFUL BOXER (2005) Beautiful Boxer blends boxing and identity politics to create a striking, if overdrawn, portrait of self-discovery. Based on the true story of Thailand’s famed transgender kickboxer, Beautiful Boxer is a poignant action drama that punches straight into the heart and mind of a boy who fights like a man so he can become a woman... Starring: Asanee Suwan, Sorapong Chatree, Sorapong Chatri, OrnAnong Panyawong BEAUTIFUL THING (1996) An engaging slice of life drama that happens to double as a gay coming-of-age story, Beautiful Thing captures its place and time with deceptive depth and skill. In this alternately sombre and witty coming-of-age drama, a pair of teenage boys growing up in a working-class neighbourhood become aware of their homosexuality...Starring: Linda Henry, Andrew Fraser, Glen Berry, Julie Smith THE BIRDCAGE (1996) Mike Nichols wrangles agreeably amusing performances from Robin Williams and Nathan Lane in this fun, if not quite essential, remake of the French comedy La Cage aux Folles… Starring: Robin Williams, Nathan Lane, Gene Hackman, Dianne Wiest THE BOYS IN THE BAND (1970) “You show me a happy homosexual and I’ll show you a gay corpse.” The groundbreaking film centres on eight queens who gather in a Greenwich Village apartment for the birthday of self-described “ugly, pockmarked Jew fairy” Leonard Frey but nasty host Kenneth Nelson insists on playing those truth games. Alternately hilarious, contrived, gut-wrenching ad sentimental, Crowley’s pathMag 45

breaking play moved from headline-making Off-Broadway smash to the first American movie exclusively about male homosexuals. A subject that had previously been a Hollywood no-no, it offered “the best and most potent argument for gay liberation ever offered in a popular art form” within two years of its release, two dozen movies with gay themes emerged. And its endless barrage of catty zingers introduced the mainstream moviegoer to the joys of “gay humour…

Starring: Kenneth Nelson, Frederick Combes, Cliff Gorman, Leonard Frey

Jake Gyllenhall & Heath Ledger excelled in the timeless love story of Brokeback Mountain

BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN (2005) Its fifteen years ago that this iconic film was released! A beautiful, epic Western, Brokeback Mountain’s love story is imbued with heart-breaking universality thanks to moving performances by Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal... Starring: Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Anne Hathaway, Michelle Williams CABARET (1972) Great performances and evocative musical numbers help Cabaret secure its status as a stylish, socially conscious classic. Adapted from the Broadway show, this hard-hitting musical drama is set in decadent 1930s Berlin during Hitler’s rise to power …

Starring: Liza Minnelli, Joel Grey, Michael York, Marisa Berenson CALL ME BY YOUR NAME (2018) The film offers a melancholy, powerfully affecting portrait of first love, empathetically acted by Timothée Chalamet and Armie Hammer. Call Me by Your Name transcends because it dares to not only ask, but also answer the question posed by so many love stories throughout history: was the love worth the pain? Yes. Without a doubt, it was.… Starring: Armie Hammer, Timothée Chalamet, Michael Stuhlbarg, Amira Casar CAROL (2015) Shaped by Todd Haynes’ deft direction and powered by a strong cast led by Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara, Carol lives up to its ground-breaking source material. Adapted from the novel “The Price of Salt” by Patricia Highsmith, Therese (Rooney Mara), a young department-store clerk in 1950’s Manhattan, meets Carol (Cate Blanchett), a beautiful older woman stuck in a depressing marriage of convenience. As their bond deepens and they become romantically involved… Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara take us inside a passionate story of desire and retribution that’s both satisfying and disturbing… Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kyle Chandler, Rooney Mara, Sarah Paulson THE CELLULOID CLOSET (1996) takes a thought-provoking look at the decades of omission and misrepresentation endured by the gay community in mainstream cinema. Documentary directors Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman, already well-established for bringing gay issues to a mainstream film audience, examined the film industry itself in this absorbing study. Based on a 1981 book

by Vito Russo and narrated by Lily Tomlin, the film states up-front that in one hundred years of cinema history, homosexuality has rarely been acknowledged, and only then for laughs, pity, or fear. As the film continues, it details the prevailing trends in the depiction of gays during each decade, showing how the visibility of homosexuals began to increase and evolve – Brilliant! … Starring: Lily Tomlin, Joseph Breen, Susie Bright, Tony Curtis CHRIS & DON (2007) The film paints an affecting, enlightening portrait of a one-of-a-kind love affair. Guido Santi and Tina Mascara’s documentary traces the romantic relationship between writer Christopher Isherwood painter Don Bachardy. The filmmakers utilise interviews with Don himself, as well as personal documents belonging to Isherwood, in order to show how the duo nurtured each other’s artistic instincts while establishing a deep emotional bond that survived even after Isherwood’s passing… Starring: Don Bachardy, Christopher Isherwood, Leslie Caron, Katherine Bucknell CIRCUS OF BOOKS (2020) Like the cheekily named store at this documentary’s centre, Circus of Books proves there are countless stories below the surface if we’re only willing to look. For over 35 Mag 46

Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara take us inside a passionate story of desire and retribution in Carol

years, the gay porn shop, Circus of Books, served as the epicentre for LGBT life and culture. It is an intimate portrait of the Masons, an elderly straight couple and their journey to become one of the biggest distributors of hard-core gay porn in the United States...

Starring: Larry Flynt, Justin Honard, Jeff Stryker THE COLOR PURPLE (1985) A sentimental tale that reveals great emotional truths in American history. Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Alice Walker, The Color Purple was nominated for eleven Oscars. The film was co-produced by Quincy Jones,.. Starring: Whoopi Goldberg, Danny Glover, Margaret Avery, Oprah Winfrey DOG DAY AFTERNOON (1975) Framed by great work from director Sidney Lumet and fuelled by a gripping performance from Al Pacino (Sonny), Dog Day Afternoon offers a finely detailed snapshot of people in crisis with tension-soaked drama shaded in black humour.

Based on a true 1972 story, Sidney Lumet’s 1975 drama chronicles a unique bank robbery on a hot summer afternoon in Brooklyn, New York … we learn as the film progresses that when Sonny’s lover, Leon (Chris Sarandon), tries to talk Sonny out of the bank, the robbery’s motive is to finance Leon’s sex-change operation … Starring: Al Pacino, John Cazale, Charles Durning, Chris Sarandon EMPORTE-MOI (SET ME FREE) (1999) Hanna is an unhappy adolescent in 1960’s Quebec. Her mother, who is constantly ill, and her father, a Jewish-Polish immigrant, have a confusing love-hate relationship. Feeling isolated and somehow different from the other girls at her Catholic school, Hanna becomes fixated on one of her teachers and while adopting the mannerisms and philosophy her doomed heroine her home life goes from bad to worse … Starring: Karine Vanasse, Charlotte Christeler, Pascale Bussières, Miki Manojlovic END OF THE CENTURY (2019) Understated yet impactful, End of the Century offers viewers a powerful love story, elegantly told. When Ocho (Juan Barberini), a 30-something Argentine poet on vacation in Barcelona, spots Javi (Ramón Pujol), a Spaniard Berlin, from the balcony of his Airbnb, the attraction is subtle but persistent. After a missed connection on the beach, a third chance encounter escalates to a seemingly random hookup. But are these two merely beautiful strangers in a foreign city or are they part of each other’s histories-and maybe even their destinies? … Starring: Juan Barberini, Ramon Pujol, Mia Maestro, Mariano Lopez Seoane FAREWELL MY CONCUBINE (BA WANG BIE JI) (1993) Chen Kaing’s epic is grand in scope and presentation, and, bolstered by solid performances, the result is a film both horrifying and enthralling. The story begins in the 1920’s, and continues through to the aftermath of the Cultural Revolution. The early part of the film focuses on the training and adolescent relationships of two young men who are destined to perform in the famed Peking Opera. Due to the arduous and complex nature of their training, the story begins when one of them (nicknamed Douzi) (played as an adult by Hong Kong singer Leslie Cheung) is deposited at the school by his mother when he is quite a young boy. He becomes friends with a lad called Shitou (Zhang Fengyi as an adult), and their friendship goes through a variety of ups and downs occasioned by the fact that Douzi is homosexual, and Shitou is married… Starring: Leslie Cheung, Fengyi Zhang, Li Gong, Qi Lu THE FAVOURITE (2018) The film’s plot examines the relationship between two cousins, Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough (Rachel Weisz) and Abigail Masham (Emma Stone), who are vying to be Court favourite of Queen Anne. Abigail’s friendship with Anne becomes sexual and with twists and intrigue the film is a triumph...

Starring: Olivia Coleman, Emma Stone, Rachel Weiss Chen Kaing’s epic Farewell My Concubine is fascinating and enthralling

GET REAL (1999) An authentic portrayal of homosexuality in high school. Get Real is an engaging dramedy that doesn’t sermonise its audience nor trivialize its characters. In this film, Director, Mag 47

Simon Shore manages the transition from television and documentary to feature filmmaking with great assurance. Based on Patrick Wilde’s stage success, What’s Wrong with Anger? Shore recounts an appealing tale of a teenaged schoolboy coming to grips with his emerging sexuality....Starring: Ben Silverstone, Brad Gorton, Charlotte Brittain, Stacy Hart GODS AND MONSTERS (1998) The film is a spellbinding, confusing piece of semi-fiction, featuring fine performances; McKellen leads the way, but Redgrave and Fraser don’t lag far behind. Hollywood history comes to life in this tale of the last days of Frankenstein director James Whale, played by Sir Ian McKellan... Starring: Ian McKellen, Brendan Fraser, Lynn Redgrave, Lolita Davidovich GO FISH (1995) This hit art-house ensemble piece traces the romantic and political ups and downs of a group of multicultural Chicago lesbians … Starring: V.S. Brodie, Guinevere Turner, T. Wendy McMillan, Migdalia Melendez THE HANDMAIDEN (AH-GA-SSI) (2016) The film uses a Victorian crime novel as the loose inspiration for another visually sumptuous and absorbingly idiosyncratic outing from director Park Chan-wook. This ravishing new crime drama was inspired by the novel Fingersmith by British author Sarah Waters... Starring: Kim Min-hee, Ha Jung-woo, Cho Jin-woong, Kim Hae-suk THE HANGING GARDEN (1998) A troubled homosexual man returns to his super-dysfunctional family in Nova Scotia to attend the wedding of his foul-mouthed sister and his former friend. This challenging film is filled with paradoxes that render it simultaneously arty and gritty, surreal and all too real… Starring: Chris Leavins, Kerry Fox, Sarah Polley, Seanna McKenna

God’s & Monsters looks at the relationship between an older man and his younger companion In & Out is worth watching even if it’s just for this scene ...

IN & OUT (1997) A fun film that is clichéd and doesn’t always find comfortable ground between broad comedy and social commentary. It has great performances from Kevin Kline and Joan Cusack.

The movie centres on high-school English teacher and sports coach Howard Brackett (Kevin Kline) who is outed by a former pupil during his Oscar acceptance speech … inspired by Tom Hanks’s tearful speech when he accepted his 1994 Oscar (for his role in Philadelphia), in which he mentioned his high-school drama coach Rawley Farnsworth. Starring: Kevin Kline, Joan Cusack, Matt Dillon, Debbie Reynolds I, YOU, HE, SHE (JE, TU, IL, ELLE) (1975) This was the first feature-length effort from avant-garde filmmaker Chantal Akerman. The story, simple in extreme, concerns a high-strung woman taking a lengthy journey through France. By dwelling long and hard on every experience, she hopes to find life’s answers during her cross-country odyssey...Starring: Chantal Akerman, Niels Arestrup, Claire Wauthion KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN (1985) The film weaves an alluring exploration of sexual and societal norms that’s further elevated by strong work from William Hurt and Raul Julia. Two cell mates in a South American prison - one, a gay man serving time for molesting a young boy and the other a political activist- learn to live with each other despite their differences and over the course of time find a mutual respect…Starring: William Hurt, Raul Julia, Sonia Braga, José Lewgoy.

LA CAGE AUX FOLLES (1979) La Cage is a fine French-Italian farce with flamboyant, charming characters and deep laughs.

Purists think that this version is the only one, and in its original French … The Birdcage is the American version of the same story and whilst got great reviews, pales in comparison. … Starring: Ugo Tognazzi, Michel Serrault, Michel Galabru, Claire Maurier LONGTIME COMPANION (1990) One of the first films to offer a thoughtful treatment of the AIDS epidemic and its effects on the Mag 48

William Hurt shines in the Kiss of the Spiderwoman

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FEBRUARY diary Friday 7th Leather Night Free entrance with leather gear · Sunday 9th Full Moon – Celebrate hedonism with free libation wine · Friday 14th Long Schlong Valentine’s Day - Come be everyone's Valentine-free entrance for 20cm+ · Friday 21st Fetish Night – Indulge your fantasies · Friday 28th Public Pigz Night Be a pig on the bar counter for an entrance refund · MARCH diary Friday 6th Leather Night - Free entrance with leather gear · Monday 9th Full Moon Party Celebrate hedonism with free libation wine · Friday 13th Long Schlong Night - Free entrance for 20cm + · Friday 20th Fetish Night - Indulge your fantasies · Friday 27th Public Pigz Night Be a pig on the bar counter for an entrance refund APRIL diary Friday 3rd Leather Night Free entrance with leather gear · Wednesday 8th Full Moon – Celebrate hedonism with free libation wine · Thursday 9th Bad Thursday Party - Cum be as bad as you wanna be · Friday 10th Long Schlong Night Free entrance for 20cm+ · Friday 17th Fetish Night – Indulge your fantasies · Friday 24th Public Public Pigz Night Be a pig on the bar counter for an entrance refund · Sunday 26th Freedom Day Party - Cum feel free · Thursday 30th Workers Day Party - Cum work it MAY diary Friday 1st Leather Night Free entrance with leather gear · Thursday 7th Full Moon – Celebrate hedonism with free libation wine · Friday 8th Long Schlong Night Free entrance for 20cm+ · Friday 15th Fetish Night – Indulge your fantasies · Friday 22nd Public Pigz Night Be a pig on the bar counter for an entrance refund · Friday 29th Fire Crotch Night – Free Entrance with Red Pubes

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Mondays: R50 entrance for Daddies & Toy Boys between 6 & 9 Every Tuesday is Buddy Night. Bring a friend for free!

Thursdays: Student Night. R50 with student card, all day

gay community, Longtime Companion is sensitive ensemble AIDS drama, lensed with sympathy which builds to a moving finale. It was the first wide-release theatrical film to deal with the subject of AIDS, and earned a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nominations for Bruce Davison …Starring: Bruce Davison, Mark Lamos, Campbell Scott, Stephen Caffrey, Sarah Jessica Parker

Making Love was praised by the gay press

LOVE, SIMON (2018) A light-hearted teen film, it’s a comingof-age movie that is enjoyable and will appeal to a younger generation … Starring: Nick Robinson, Katherine Langford, Alexandra Shipp, Josh Duhamel MÄDCHEN IN UNIFORM (GIRLS IN UNIFORM) (MAIDENS IN UNIFORM) (1931) Inspired by Christa Winsloe’s play Gestern und Heute, Madchen in Uniform is one of the most memorable and moving of the pre-Hitler German talkies…Starring: Emilia Unda, Dorothea Wieck, Hedwig Schlichter, Hertha Thiele MAKING LOVE (1982) - An American drama film directed by Arthur Hiller and starring Kate Jackson, Harry Hamlin and Michael Ontkean. The film tells the story of a married man coming to terms with his homosexuality and the love triangle that develops between him, his wife and another man. It was the first mainstream Hollywood drama to address the subjects of homosexuality, coming out and the effect that being closeted and coming out has on a marriage. Gay film historian Vito Russo wrote in The Celluloid Closet that straight critics found the film boring while gay critics, glad for any attention paid to the subject, praised it…

Starring: Harry Hamlin, Kate Jackson, Michael Ontkean MAURICE (1987) Maurice sensitively explores the ramifications of forbidden desire with a powerful love story brought to life by the outstanding efforts of a talented cast. E.M. Forster’s Maurice is a story of coming to terms with one’s sexuality and identity in the face of disapproval and misunderstanding… Starring: James Wilby, Hugh Grant, Rupert Graves, Denholm Elliott MIDNIGHT EXPRESS (1978) Directed by Alan Parker, the film follows the true story of Billy Hayes’s incarceration in a Turkish prison. Whilst not a “gay” movie the characters and gay innuendo make it one of ours. Very powerful performances from a brilliant cast ... Starring: Brad Davis, John Hurt MILK (2008) Anchored by Sean Penn’s powerhouse performance, Milk is a triumphant account of Harvey Milk who in 1977, was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, becoming the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in the USA. His victory was a victory for gay rights and he changed the very nature of what it means to be a fighter for human rights and became, before his untimely death in 1978, a hero for millions of Americans… Starring: Sean Penn, Emile Hirsch, Josh Brolin, James Franco MONSTER (2004) Charlize Theron gives a searing, unglamorous performance as real life serial killer Aileen Wuornos, an intense, disquieting portrait of a profoundly damaged soul. The film is a gritty true-life drama, of the life of the lesbian serial killer … Starring: Charlize Theron, Christina Ricci, Bruce Dern, Scott Wilson.

MOONLIGHT (2016) Moonlight uses one man’s story to offer a remarkable and brilliantly crafted look at lives too rarely seen in cinema. It is the tender, heart-breaking story of a young man’s struggle to find himself, told across three defining chapters in his life... The African-American coming-of-age drama, written and directed by Barry Jenkins, won the Best Picture Oscar and is cited as one of the best films of the 21st century…

Starring: Naomie Harris, André Holland, Mahershala Ali, Janelle Monáe Mag 50

Brad Davis is superb in Midnight Express Charlize Theron delivered a searing performance in Monster

MY LIFE IN PINK (MA VIE EN ROSE (1997) This movie follows a boy’s exploration of his gender identity with warmth and empathy - for its young protagonist as well as the family affected by his journey…Starring: Georges Du Fresne, JeanPhilippe Écoffey, Daniel Hanssens, Michèle Laroque MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO (1991) A tantalising glimpse of a talented director and his stars all at the top of their respective games, Gus Van Sant’s loose reworking of Henry IV is smart, sad and audacious. It is both a love story and a tragedy and follows two friends, Michael Waters and Scott Favor, played by River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves respectively, as they embark on a journey of personal discovery. Considered a landmark film in the New Queer Cinema movement and since its release, the film has grown in popularity and is deemed as a cult classic, especially among LGBT audiences… Starring: River Phoenix, Keanu Reeves, James Russo, William Richert PAIN AND GLORY (DOLOR Y GLORIA) (2019) Pain and Glory finds writer-director Pedro Almodóvar drawing on his own life to rewarding effect and honouring his craft as only a master filmmaker can. It tells of a series of re-encounters experienced by Salvador Mallo, a film director in his physical decline. Antonio Banderas gives his best, most committed performance in years as a film director looking back over his life … Starring: Antonio Banderas, Asier Etxeandia, Penelope Cruz, Leonardo Sbaraglia PARIAH (2011) Pulsing with authenticity and led by a stirring lead performance from Adepero Oduye, Pariah is a powerful coming out/coming-of-age film that signals the arrival of a fresh new talent in writer/director Dee Rees... Starring: Adepero Oduye, Pernell Walker, Wendell Pierce, Gameela Wright PHILADELPHIA (1993) Philadelphia has a stellar cast and at the time of its release, Jonathan Demme’s film was the first big-budget Hollywood movie to tackle the medical, political, and social issues of AIDS…Tom Hanks won the Best Actor Oscar for his brilliant performance … Starring: Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington, Antonio Banderas, Jason Robards PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE (PORTRAIT DE LA JEUNE FILLE EN FEU) (2020) Set in France in the late 18th century, the film tells the story of a forbidden affair between an aristocrat and a painter commissioned to paint her portrait.

The film won the Queer Palm at Cannes, becoming the first film directed by a woman to win the award....Starring: Noémie Merlant, Adèle Haenel, Luàna Bajrami, Valeria Golino PRIDE (2014) If you like British movies Pride is a joyous crowd-pleaser that genuinely works. Earnest without being didactic and uplifting without stooping to sentimentality, the film is inspired by an extraordinary true story. Set in Margaret Thatcher’s troubled Britain, Pride follows a group of LGBTI people who support the striking miners against all odds … Starring: Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton, Dominic West, Paddy Considine QUERELLE (1982) Querelle the last film directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder was adapted from French author Jean Genet’s 1947 novel Querelle of Brest. The film is still cutting edge and controversial and with its garish colours, odd narrative style, phallic symbolism and gay sex, it is a sensation. The dichotomy of gender-play and defiant samesexuality is at the root of Genet’s queer theory. Even someone with no knowledge of his philosophy will be struck by its power in this film...

Starring: Brad Davis, Jeanne Moreau, Franco Nero

Antonio Banderas gives his best, most committed performance in Pain & Glory THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (1975) Possibly the most well-known and best-loved “gay” movie is The Rocky Horror Picture Show which brings is filled with quirky characters, but it’s the narrative thrust that really drives audiences insane and keeps ‘em doing the time warp again and again. This low-budget freak show/cult classic/cultural institution concerns the misadventures of Brad Majors (Barry Bostwick) and Janet Weiss (Susan Sarandon) and is a riot of every taboo! … Starring: Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick, Richard O’Brien A SINGLE MAN (2009) Though the costumes are beautiful and the art direction impeccable, what stands out most from this debut by fashion designer Tom Ford is the leading performance by Colin Firth. College professor (Colin Firth) is struggling to find meaning to his life after the death of his long-time partner, Jim. George dwells on the past and cannot see his future as we follow him through a single day, where a series of events and encounters, ultimately lead him to decide that there is a meaning to life after Jim…Starring: Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, Matthew Goode, Nicholas Hoult With its garish colours, odd narrative style, phallic symbolism and gay sex, Querelle is a sensation.

ROCKETMAN (2019) Rocketman is an epic musical fantasy about the incredible human story of Elton John’s breakthrough years.

Visually and musically entertaining Rocketman follows the life of LGBTI+ icon, activist and philanthropist Elton John … Starring: Taron Egerton, Jamie Bell, Richard Madden, Bryce Dallas Howard Mag 51

SUDDENLY (TAN DE REPENTE) (2003) - Arresting and absorbing on a visual as well as narrative level, Suddenly weaves an affecting drama around the life-altering experiences of a group of women. A young, naive clerk at a lingerie store learns about love and her own identity in Diego Lerman’s 2002 film... Starring: Carla Crespo, Tatiana Saphir, Verónica Hassan, Beatriz Thibaudin.

SUNDAY BLOODY SUNDAY (1971) Led by strong performances from its three leads, Sunday Bloody Sunday takes a sophisticated and ground-breaking look at the complexities of love. This sympathetic and psychologically precise British drama examines the choices individuals must make when confronted with a romantic relationship which is rewarding but does not offer them everything they want... Starring: Peter Finch, Glenda Jackson, Murray Head, Peggy Ashcroft TABOO (GOHATTO) (1999) In Taboo, Director Nagisa Oshima explores homosexuality among the ranks of the much hallowed samurai. The new member of a samurai militia unit causes disruption as several of his colleagues fall in love with him, threatening to disturb the rigid code of their squad... Starring: Yoichi Sai, Takeshi Kitano, Tadanobu Asano, Ryuhei Matsuda

sexual. It is considered one of the icons of gay cinema. Starring: Dirk Bogarde, Sylvia Syms, Dennis Price, Peter McEnery THE WEDDING BANQUET (XI YAN) (1993) Brokeback Mountain director, Ang Lee’s funny and ultimately poignant comedy of manners reveals the filmmaker’s skill across genres. A gay New Yorker stages a marriage of convenience with a young woman to satisfy his traditional Taiwanese family, but the wedding becomes a major inconvenience when his parents fly in for the ceremony. What follows is a riot, as he tries to hide is true sexuality from his conservative family … Starring: Winston Chao, May Chin, Mitchell Lichtenstein, Sihung Lung THE WOUND (INXEBA) (2017) The Wound uses its complex, timely story as effective grist for a thought-provoking exploration of the human dynamic. The film follows Xolani, a lonely factory worker, who joins the men of his community in the mountains of the Eastern Cape to initiate a group of teenage boys into manhood.

When a defiant initiate from the city discovers his best kept secret, Xolani’s entire existence begins to unravel…Starring: Nakhane Touré, Bongile Mantsai, Niza Jay Ncoyini

TORCH SONG TRILOGY (1988) Urban comedy-drama spanning nine years in the life of a gay man in New York, centring around his loves, his career as a drag diva and his stormy relationship with his mother. With brilliant performances from Fierstein and Bancroft … Starring: Harvey Fierstein, Anne Bancroft, Matthew Broderick, Brian Kerwin

YOSSI & JAGGER (2003) Described as a tersely told yet deeply felt romance, Yossi (Ohad Knoller) is the stoic company commander of an Israeli Defense Forces unit on the Lebanese border. Jagger (Yehuda Levi), who got his nickname thanks to his fun-loving rock star appeal, is the platoon leader. They have a secret. When they walk off in the snow together, it isn’t because they’re on patrol--it’s because they’re lovers…Starring: Ohad Knoller, Yehuda Levi, Assi Cohen, Aya Koren

VICTIM (1961) Further elevated by a strong central performance from Dirk Bogarde, Victim offers an eloquent and emotionally affecting argument against prejudice. In its time, this movie was considered ground-breaking - as daring a film as had ever been made anywhere and is the first film to mention the word homo-

52 TUESDAYS (2013) is an Australian coming of age drama film directed by Sophie Hyde, which centres on a teenage girl dealing with her mother transitioning gender to become a man... Starring: Tilda Cobham-Hervey, Del Herbert-Jane, Mario Späte, Beau Travis Williams

OUT TAKES

Mag 52

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Pink

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Being gay is like being left handed.

Some people are ... most people aren’t and nobody really knows why. It’s not right or wrong, it’s just the way things are!

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I think that the best day will be when we no longer talk about being gay or straight - it’s not a ‘gay wedding,’ it’s just a wedding. It’s not a ‘gay marriage,’ it’s just a marriage

#pride A proud supporter the LGBTQ Community

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